Tena Koe, it was great to see everyone enjoy Miles Toyota Club Round and show off their true colours at the Apollo Projects Stadium on Saturday, with the Representative season now in full swing!
One of the coolest parts of our year in the Partnerships and Engagement team is seeing the growing connection between our community game and our Bunnings NPC and Farah Palmer Cup sides, highlighted by Miles Toyota Club Round and the names of our 48 clubs featuring in our red & black jersey, a little touch that hopefully adds to the feeling that our Canterbury teams are in fact your teams.
Both your NPC and FPC sides have been playing well, with the women’s team having the chance to secure home advantage in the playoffs this weekend in Auckland, while the men host Wellington in a rematch of last year’s final. Make sure to get behind both teams as they look to continue to push their season in the right directions.
After that, all eyes turn to next weekend’s exciting rugby schedule, with a potential home Farah Palmer Cup Semi-Final and the Southbridge Shield to look forward to, with the Canterbury NPC team heading to the Rangiora Showgrounds for the first time!
Nominations for the Canterbury Community Rugby Awards close today, so click here to nominate a worthy recepient now. This is a really important way for us to recognise and appreciate the work that our community puts into our game to make it all that is!
Ngā mihi,
Amelia Kininmonth
General Manager Partnerships & Engagement, Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Community Welcome
Clash with Auckland headlines final round robin games
Saturday’s clash with Auckland is set to decide the final standings of the Farah Palmer Cup, presented by Bunnings Warehouse, with the top two teams set to go head-to-head at Eden Park at 11:35am on Saturday.
Alongside Waikato, all three teams could finish first and lock in a home finals, with Canterbury naming a strong team once again in their bid for top spot.
Pip Love and Amy Du Plessis return to the starting lineup after missing the Counties Manukau game through illness.
Hayley Hutana starts on the left wing and Tayla Simpson moves into the #12 jersey, in place of Grace Steinmetz and Grace Brooker.
On the bench, Winnie Palamo returns from a knock that has kept her out since her impressive debut in Round 1 against Wellington, and is also joined by Nicole Purdom and Isabella Waterman.
“It was great to achieve our first goal of the season last week, locking away the JJ Stewart Trophy.” said FPC Head Coach Jimmy Sinclair. “It was great to add to the legacy and hold down the JJ Stewart Trophy for a seventh year, it’s a real credit to the depth in Canterbury that has allowed us to do this across the whole season so far.
“We’re excited to get up to Auckland and build on a strong performance against Counties.”
Kick off is 11:35am on Saturday, with fans able to purchase a virtual ticket for just $10 as Auckland Rugby “Tackle the Floods” in support of their NPC opponent, Hawkes Bay, here.
Canterbury lock away the JJ Stewart Trophy for the seventh year running
Canterbury have locked away the JJ Stewart Trophy for the seventh year in a row, continuing an impressive home run of form that has seen the challenge trophy stay in Christchurch!
Since beating Counties Manukau in 2017, Canterbury have held the trophy, which is the equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield, and successfully defended it against Wellington, Bay of Plenty and Counties Manukau in 2023, meaning the silverware will now stay in the cabinet until 2024 as the Farah Palmer Cup, presented by Bunnings Warehouse, heads towards finals next week.
Bunnings NPC side prepare for finals rematch
A slight tweak to Canterbury’s front row stocks is the feature of Sunday’s Bunnings Warehouse NPC side to take on Wellington. With Oli Jager sidelined due to an eye injury, Seb Calder slips into the starting lineup, which brings Carisbrook Toomalatai moves onto the bench as back up.
Sam Darry returns to the park by way of the reserves for the first time since breaking his wrist against the Crusaders in round 11 of Super Rugby. St Bede’s Old Boy Solomon Alaimalo is in line to make his Canterbury debut in jersey 23, having previously played for Northland, Tasman, Waikato and Southland.
“Wellington will be a strong assignment,” said Head Coach Marty Bourke, “So it’s about building on last week. Cementing some combinations and getting better. Not making changes for changes sake.”
“It’s great to have Sam (Darry) back on the park, he’s a leader in our lineouts and around the park, so we’re looking forward to him getting his opportunity.”
The starting backline largely remains the same as the previous two weeks, with last week’s Ray White Player of the Match Mitchell Drummond partnering Fergus Burke at 9 and 10, leaving Rameka Poihipi and Dallas McLeod together in the midfield. Speedsters Blair Murray, Manasa Mataele and Chay Fihaki team up again in the back three.
Glenmark Cheviot’s Nick Hyde gets another run in #16 after a solid debut last week.
Youthful duo Willi Heinz and Ryan Crotty will close out the match in jerseys 21 and 22.
Canterbury B begin their campaign against Southland B
Canterbury B will begin their representative this weekend at Apollo Projects Stadium, hosting Southland B prior to this weekend’s Bunnings NPC game.
Kicking off at 11:35am, the match will provide fans the opportunity to see Canterbury’s famed production line in action, with a number of players next in line for Canterbury A honours.
It will also feature a return to action of one of Canterbury’s rising stars, with Burnside’s Zach Gallgher in action for the first time since injury sidelined him in the Crusaders’ Quarter Final win over the Fijian Drua.
Captaining the side is his Burnside team mate Joel Lam, and New Brighton’s Keegan O’Donnell.
Canterbury U19 kick off tournament against Tasman in Murchison
Canterbury U19’s South Island Tournament kicks off this weekend, after a string of strong performances in their warm up games.
After toppling Ellesmere, Canterbury Pasifika and the Tasman U19’s, the Canterbury side will now start their campaign with a trip to Murchison to take on Tasman again, this time for real.
Saturday’s match in Murchison is the first of three fixtures the side will play, with the others taking place in Dunedin next weekend, where the red & blacks will come up against Otago and Southland.
The U19 side contains a host of names that have lit up both the Miles Toyota Premiership and Senior competitions, including the likes of reigning U19 Player of the Year Johnny Lee and New Zealand U20 representatives Toby Bell and Isaac Hutchinson.
Senior Representative Draw - 26 August
U85 Club Cup Quarter Final - HSOB vs Auckland University
The HSOB Light Bears will get another chance to play at home, thanks to the Auckland University Squids travelling south for Saturday’s U85 Club Cup Quarter Final clash.
Get down to Bob Deans Fields at 1pm on Saturday to watch the lightweights go head-to-head in an attempt to move on to the Semi Finals and get one step closer to U85kg glory!
Our Senior Club Champions
Club Rugby has been the highlight of many people’s winters so far, and it’s only fair we celebrate our senior champions, those who put in the work to get the chocolates at the end of season!
North Canterbury
Luisetti Seeds North Canterbury Division 1 - Glenmark Cheviot
Division 2 - Kaiapoi
Women’s - Oxford
Colts - Ashley
Ellesmere
Luisetti Seeds Ellesmere Division 1 - Prebbleton
Division 2 - Waihora
Women’s - Prebbleton
Division 3 - West Melton
Colts - Prebbleton
Metro
Bascik Transport Metro Premier - Marist Albion
Bascik Transport Metro Premier Women’s - University
Bascik Transport Metro Premier Reserve Women’s - Prebbleton
Bascik Transport Metro Premier Reserve - Christchurch
Bascik Transport Metro Colts - Shirley
Classics - Burnside
Miles Toyota Premiership, Championship & Cup
Miles Toyota Premiership - Christchurch Boys’ High School
Miles Toyota Championship - Mid Canterbury Combined
Miles Toyota Cup - Christchurch Girls’ High School
A big congratulations to Christchurch Girls’ High School for qualifying to represent the South Island in the Top 4 1st XV finals in Palmerston North next month, giving them the opportunity to defend the national title they won alongside Manukura High School last year.
Thank you to all the volunteers who have put in the hard work throughout the season to help all teams get to the pointy end, not just the victorious sides!
Gallery - Christchurch Girls’ High School qualify for Nationals
